17
Had a customer tell me my solder joints were 'too pretty' for 2 years and then a repair failed
I've been repairing vintage audio gear for about 5 years in Portland and always took pride in making my solder joints look clean and shiny. A customer pointed out that my joints looked like jewelry and said they were probably cold joints from too much heat. I brushed it off because I thought they were just being picky. After a receiver I fixed died 6 months later I pulled it open and saw a hairline crack in one of those pretty joints. Turns out I was overheating the pad to get that perfect shine. Now I use a lower temp iron and focus on flow time instead of looks. Anyone else get feedback that went against what they thought was the right way to do things?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
jessicaw111mo ago
Nah, cold joints are from not enough heat, not too much.
1
elizabetht561mo agoTop Commenter
You're saying a joint can get cold from not enough heat?
2